


A Witch’s Desire

by Creativitydeficient



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst without a happy ending, Character Death, F/M, GabeNath Reverse Bang (Miraculous Ladybug), GabeNath Reverse Bang 2020, Shady Emilie, Witchcraft AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28178277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creativitydeficient/pseuds/Creativitydeficient
Summary: Gabriel Agreste was a peculiar man, who was known around town both as a famous fashion designer and a powerful witch who was able to read and control minds, though he never used that second power unless there was a real emergency. Heck, he barely even used the first. But after losing his wife, Gabriel becomes desperate to do anything he can to bring her back, even that means using his powers for evil, or tracking down a mysterious powerful witch who had disappeared many years ago, with the power to bring the dead back to life.
Relationships: Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 15
Kudos: 21
Collections: GabeNath Reverse Bang 2020





	A Witch’s Desire

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the awesome art that goes with this story below!
> 
> [ https://themrwaddlez.tumblr.com/post/637967100825272320/story-a-witchs-desire-author ](Art)

Gabriel Agreste was a rather...peculiar man to say the least.

Born to two poor, but very powerful witches, he grew up in a nearly absent household, as his parents were always hard at work, trying to support both each other and him. Because of this, Gabriel had to learn to control his powers on his own, and due to having to do it all on his own, grew up very quiet and reserved, and without many friends.

In fact, he didn’t make his first  _ true  _ friend until high school. 

Being a powerful witch meant that a lot of people tried to take advantage of you, and once Gabriel learned how to control his powers a bit more, he had more and more people, ones that wouldn’t even so much as GLANCE at him before, come up to him asking for favors once learning of his abilities, which was the power to read, and even control minds. 

“What’s Sarah thinking about? Can you read if she likes me?” “I want revenge on my ex, would you be able to mind control them?” 

It was always the same stuff, each time. People wanting help being seen or revenge against another. 

Gabriel had no desire for this however, as he had no interest in using his powers for selfish purposes, nor in people who wanted to pretend to like him just to take advantage of him. After all, it didn’t take a psychic to realize their true intentions. 

That all changed though when he was approached by a human girl, about two years younger than him, with blonde hair and an eager smile. 

At first, he gave her the cold shoulder, as he initially believed that she was just another person who only wanted something from him, but she  _ wasn’t _ . She had no interest in his power, or  _ ANY _ power for that matter. 

Or at least, not at  _ first _ .

She was the exact opposite of Gabriel too, who was very quiet and often kept to himself, as opposed to her over-dramatic and boisterous nature, but yet for some reason, he couldn’t help but be drawn to her. 

She was friendly, kind-hearted, and, well, very pretty.

They talked the entire lunch period, and as the bell rang, Gabriel shook the growing feelings for her out of his head, believing it to only be a one time thing, but the conversations kept coming, and what started out as small talks at lunch turned into hanging out after school, and what started out as hanging out after school turned into dates.

That was all about 30 years ago, and the two of them were now happily married, and with a teenage son named Adrien, who had powers of destruction. 

Gabriel and Emilie feared for their son’s safety because of this, afraid that, until he learned how to control his powers, he would hurt both himself, and others. 

And so, they kept him isolated, as they both truly believed it was what was best, and Gabriel, not exactly having parents growing up himself, lacking better judgement for the situation.

After all, if this is what Emilie insisted they needed to do, then he was more than willing to comply. She was his wife. He trusted her guidance.

As Adrien grew however, the more both parents came to realize what an energetic and extroverted boy he was.  _ He’s just like his mother in that regard _ , Gabriel would think to himself, got along with everyone so well, and was always so bright eyed and full of hope, even in the most dreary of situations.

But over the years, his once bright and hopeful eyes became more and more depleted as he began to assess the situation he was unfortunately stuck in.

He wasn’t allowed outside unless ABSOLUTELY necessary, and unless he could somehow convince his parents to change their minds, and PROVE that he could handle himself, they’d probably remain stuck in their old ways forever.

His mother, at least, shared very similar mannerisms to him, which caused the two to get along very well, even if they didn’t always agree on everything. She wasn't  _ always _ around, as their lifestyle and her job as an actress made things a bit difficult, but whenever she was, the two of them were like peas in a pod. She was even the one who taught him to play piano,the two of them performing together almost every day, sometimes professionally, and other times just to goof around and make each other laugh. 

Gabriel would even join them every now and then, either to watch, or to play along, the three of them together as a family. 

It was rare, but it was moments like this that kept Adrien’s hopes up.

But despite that, Adrien found it much harder to connect with his father than he did his mother.

It wasn’t that he didn’t love his father, nor believed  _ he _ loved  _ him _ , but he was always  _ so _ busy, more so than any of them, and due to his reserved personality, Adrien found it hard to approach him even when he  _ WASN’T _ busy. 

Of course, this didn’t mean the two of them  _ never _ made time for each other. It may have been a bit difficult at times, but Gabriel made many attempts to try to connect with his son whenever possible.

This proved to become more and more difficult as Adrien grew older however, and it wasn’t long before Gabriel found that he truly had  _ no idea  _ what his son actually needed. He had always convinced himself he did, because that’s what he wanted to  _ believe,  _ but the man barely knew how to take care of  _ himself _ .

If he didn’t have Emilie in his life, he truly didn’t know  _ what _ he would do.

He had thought that perhaps, hiring an assistant, one that could help take the workload off of Gabriel and provide some company to Adrien while he and Emilie weren’t around would’ve been a good way to bring Adrien’s mood up, and it  _ worked _ . 

Well, for a little bit at least.

Out of all the people, witches and humans alike, who had submitted applications for the job, Gabriel was most drawn to an application submitted by a woman named Nathalie Sancouer.

A human woman, or at least, that’s what she had put on her resumé, with a college degree in business and financing, making her the perfect candidate for the job. On top of that, she also claimed to have many years of experience in martial arts, and taught at a middle school when she was younger, making her good with children, and more specifically, ones who were pretty close in age to Adrien, who would’ve been in the fifth grade at the time.

One phone call later, the two of them had scheduled an interview for the next day, which had gone very well. Nathalie was respectable and practical, and seemed eager to get the job done. Impressed with her resumé and overall attitude, he had hired her on the spot, hoping that he had made the right choice, and it turned out, Nathalie was an excellent assistant.

She was fast paced and hard-working, and even got along well with Adrien, who really seemed to admire her. 

Her involvement in things also made it so Gabriel would have more time to spend with his son, and while the two of them still found things to be a bit awkward from time to time, any time they could spend with each other was more than enough.

That however, all changed one day, when Emilie had stumbled upon a special magical artifact,  _ the peacock miraculous _ .

At first, it didn’t look like much, just a small brooch that bore a resemblance to a peacock’s feathers on display, with individual pink jewels forming the feather’s eyes.

It was beautiful really, even by itself, but it was also much more than meets the eye.

The miraculous was a  _ magical _ jewel, designed specifically for non-witches, so that they may have powers of their own. 

Emilie, a woman who once had no interest in magic, couldn’t help but find herself drawn to the jewel’s properties, and soon became addicted to the power it provided her with. She almost never took it off, loving the rush and feeling of freedom it gave her whenever she wore it. 

She couldn’t believe she never knew how amazing being a witch felt like, even if only a temporary one.

It wasn’t long before she found out there were other miraculouses too, ones that she craved to have in her possession as well.

She enlisted both her husband’s and Nathalie’s help when it came to locating them, but unfortunately, they didn’t come as easily as the peacock miraculous did. 

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, Emilie was a very ambitious woman, and wasn’t one to give up very easily,

As the peacock miraculous granted her the power to create representations of others emotions, she figured that maybe,  _ somehow _ , she’d be able to use it to recreate other kwamis, creatures that the man who created the miraculouses made by studying the familiars of other witches, and were responsible for powering the miraculouses.

She had hoped that, if she could recreate these little creatures, then maybe, just  _ maybe _ , she’d be able to recreate their power as well.

And so, what started out as her wearing the miraculous as a casual thing for fun soon turned into much more, as she had become practically  _ obsessed _ with recreating these kwamis, pouring herself each afternoon, while Gabriel and Nathalie were busy with work and Adrien was at fencing practice or some type of photoshoot, into attempting non-stop to translate and study the grimoire she found and its contents, and to learn more about the other kwamis and miraculouses and the powers they held, so that she could accurately recreate them.

What she didn’t know, however, is that her actions would soon come with a price.

You see, the miraculous, while specifically made to grant non-witches with powers of their own, was also made with  _ emergencies _ in mind.

The witch who had created them, a powerful man who lived many, many years ago, had found that the world was full of much danger, danger humans wouldn’t be able to protect themselves from, and that witches wouldn’t always be able to help them out with. 

Because of this, he wanted to help the humans, and wanted to give them a way to protect themselves against magical, and even just overall threats, when their witch brethren couldn’t help them out.

And so, he created the miraculouses. Powerful jewels that would grant the wearers different types of powers, ranging from powers of creation to powers of submission.

But the witch knew better, while many humans were very trustworthy, a good amount of them were selfish. Even ones with good intention had their selfish desires, desires they couldn't help but to act out upon, even without meaning too. He knew of the possible consequences the miraculouses and their powers would have on human kind, which is why he specifically made it so they could only be used for  _ EMERGENCIES,  _ and, if they were to be used for  _ any _ more than that, especially for those who possessed them for selfish reasons, it would have grave results on the wearer.

And unfortunately, Emilie had to learn that the hard way.

She could not stop herself from using the peacock miraculous, as she had become too addicted to the raw energy it gave her, and it cost her her own life.

Gabriel could still remember the last thing she said to him, words that kept playing in his head over and over every time he thought about her.

_ “Promise you’ll bring me back.” _

And, as her husband, he swore to himself he’d stick by that promise, but it seemed like no matter what he tried, his promise to her was inevitably made to be broken, as fate did not like to be messed around with.

At first, after discovering two other kinds of miraculouses, the black cat and the ladybug, ones that, when brought together, make any wish come true, he knew right away that those were the key to bringing his beloved Emilie back to him, and to their son. 

For the first time in his life, he actually began to use his powers for selfish purposes, using his mind control abilities to turn people into criminals, and force them to steal the miraculouses in any way they could, whether it was directly or by causing enough trouble so that the holders of the miraculous would have no choice but to come out of hiding, but in a world full of magic, there was really no REASON for the miraculouses to be used, so he was never able to locate them.

One day however, word got out of a  _ very  _ powerful witch, whom nobody knew the identity of. 

All that was known of her was what she disappeared hundreds of years ago, and was known for being a necromancer, someone who could bring the dead back to life.

Whoever this witch was, he knew that SHE was the key to restoring his dear wife to her former glory, and that he just HAD to find her, no matter what it took.

“Master?” his familiar, a small purple butterfly, questioned, as he watched the tall witch stare at the ground with a fixed expression, void of any and all emotion. Finally, after a few moments, the man sighed, gaze still focused on the ground as he began to speak in a monotone voice. 

“There's...been a change of plans, Nooroo.” He spoke the creature's name. “I have been made aware of a powerful witch that had disappeared years ago, one who could bring Emilie back to life, and rumor has it that she lives in this very city.”

He paused for a second, before looking up. 

“Were you aware of her existence?” He questioned the familiar, causing the small creature to shake its head.

“N-no!” He stuttered, waving his arms around frantically. “I had no idea, honest!” 

Gabriel stared for a moment, eyes narrowed, before giving a small hum and shifting his gaze back towards the floor. 

Quite frankly, Nooroo wasn’t even entirely sure if he believed him, but was just relieved that he didn’t question him any further. He watched as the witch began to fiddle with his tie, a small smirk and a darkness in his eyes that only spelt out trouble beginning to grace his features, causing Nooroo to let out a small gulp.

“Well then- ” Gabriel began again, tone much more sinister this time. “It seems as if I have a new mission now. Find this witch, and demand she helps me, whether she wants to or not!”

He turned towards his familiar, causing the poor thing to practically jump out of his skin.

“And  _ you _ are going to help me do that,  _ aren’t _ you, my dear Nooroo?” He spoke in a condescending tone, eyeing the creature with a small smirk. Nooroo opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it last minute, prompting him to instead just bow his head down submissively and he quietly uttered out the words  _ “yes master” _ . and left it at that.

Letting out a triumphant “hm”, the goal-oriented witch mentally began to prepare himself for his new mission: finding the necromancer. 

If his past experiences had told him anything, it was that this was going to be a challenge, but he wasn’t a man who backed down from one easily. 

_ Soon _ , he would have this witch under  _ his  _ control, and finally be able to claim that power for himself, reuniting him with his love once and for all, and he didn’t care  _ how _ he had to do that. 

  
  


-

It was the same routine everyday for Nathalie Sancouer. 

Get up, get dressed, go to work, hide the fact that you’re actually a powerful witch rather than a human like you had stated on your resumé, go to bed, it was as easy as that.

Except...she found that by the day, it was getting increasingly more and more difficult.

Not that it was ever easy in the first place.

She hadn’t always kept her powers hidden from people, in fact, back when she was much younger, she made use of her powers with a career as a medium.

She had been very successful for a long while, in fact, things were going great actually.

It started off as a small little gig, nothing but her, the occasional client, and a small white tent, until eventually, word had spread around. 

People were so satisfied with her service that they had told their friends and family, who then told  _ their _ friends and family. Pretty soon, people from near and far came to her for help with their issues, such as wanting to get a few last words to their deceased loved ones.

Some were skeptical, of course, and she didn’t blame them entirely. After all, this  _ was _ before witches became a well known and widely accepted part of society, but after she had told them things about their deceased relatives that there was no  _ way  _ she could have known, they were practically at her feet.

The best part? It was all a big secret.

Sure, obviously a lot of people knew about it, but all those people kept it among themselves. Once again, magic and witchcraft wasn’t a huge thing during this time, so if word spread to the wrong people, it could mean  _ serious _ trouble for her.

People back then were  _ very _ paranoid, and feared anything they didn’t understand, even if it wasn’t harmful to them. 

All Nathalie was trying to do was help people out, was that _really_ _so bad??_

And so, things were kept a secret. 

Nathalie even found it kind of  _ exciting _ , really. 

That all changed, however, when one day, things took a turn for the worse.

The year was 1692, and it started out as normal as any other year. Nathalie continued her practices and people came to her for help, just like it always has been.

Then, on a cold February morning, word of a human woman known as Tituba being accused of witchcraft by two young girls made its way to Nathalie, immediately filling the woman with dread, and that dread soon became fear for her own life as more and more innocent woman, and even some men, had fingers pointed towards them, and, just as Nathalie was most afraid of, the townsfolk let their fear and misunderstanding towards the situation take over any ounce of logic they had left.

Soon, people who had done nothing wrong, and didn’t even have powers in the first place, not that that really mattered, were being executed left and right, and in some of the most horrific ways too, like being crushed to death or drowned, all based off of simple accusations without any proof.

Nathalie couldn’t help but think-

_ What would happen if they ever met a REAL witch?  _

She knew it was no longer safe for her to stick around like this, and if she wanted to survive, she needed to get out of there, and  _ fast _ .

And so, she shut down her business for good, hurridenly abandoning it in a panic with no heads up, leaving clients to wonder where she had mysteriously disappeared to. Then, on a dark and oddly quiet night, she frantically hurried around her room, grabbing all of the clothes, sentimental items, and belongings she possibly could, before throwing them all into a singular bag, which she soon had packed up and ready to go.

With that all settled, she ran towards the front door, bag around her shoulders nearly knocking everything over as it swung around with fervor.

Finally, once she had reached the door, she, as quickly and quietly as she could muster, grabbed a cloak off of the coat rack, wrapping it around herself and pulling the hood onto her head in order to hide her figure, not wanting to risk anyone recognizing her, and without looking back, ran from the house.

She had made the impulsive decision to flee the state.

She knew it was a risky move,  _ and _ that it would take a while, especially when traveling without an initial plan, but it was all Nathalie had to go off by.

She eventually ended up in a city called New York, where she had both changed last name and hair color with a special potion she had, from a reddish brown to a dirty blonde, and went into hiding, rarely showing her face in public and making sure to blend in with the people if she ever did, using her trusty cloak to once again, hide her face from any passer by.

But people were nosy, she had found, as she was constantly met with people asking who she was, where she came from, and every question Nathalie had so desperately tried to  _ avoid _ by coming there.

Soon, word of a cryptic cloaked woman who only showed up every now and then before mysteriously disappearing into the woods spread around like wildfire, and though no one suspected her of being a witch, rumors and talk went from person to person of what she possibly  _ could _ be, a vampire, a ghost, you name it, and Nathalie knew it was only a matter of time before they found out the truth, and as long as that was the case, she could no longer stay in the same place.

And so, she headed out again, this time ending up all the way down south in a state known as Georgia, where the cycle began all over again: the last name change, hair change, the hiding, and of course, who could forget the fact that no matter how hard she tried, she always caused suspicion for herself.

_ Perhaps _ \- Nathalie had thought, _ it would be best for me to make myself more known to the people, while still hiding my past, a way to blend in and not cause suspicion at the same time,  _ but even THAT had ended in failure, as it just made people who had heard about her from friends up in New York and other places she’s been recognize her, forcing her to flee once again.

She continued to move from place to place, eventually even fleeing the country.

This, she found to be a mostly good decision, as the further away she was from her original home, the less likely of a chance there was of people having heard about her, and luckily, she was able to successfully fly under the radar.

But of course, that didn’t mean there weren’t other things she had to be cautious of. There was always something, whether it was the issues of the place itself, something Nathalie  _ definitely _ didn’t want to be caught in as she already had enough on her mind, or the fact that she was practically immortal putting her at risk.

She could still die, but she could  _ also _ live for a very long time, and aged  _ very _ slowly, appearing about 40 when in reality she was well over a hundred years old at that point, and to most humans, it was a little strange to see a woman who still looked the same age even after a good amount of time had passed.

She was careful, of course, but the risk of someone catching on was way too big, and though she had enjoyed many years of peace in places like Denmark, she couldn’t stay forever. 

Cities like London came very much in handy, as it was extremely large and crowded with many people, allowing Nathalie to successfully fly under the radar for a very long time. 

But rumors started circulating once again, and Nathalie eventually came into terms with the fact that it seemed like this was going to be the rest of her long life.

Eventually, after years and years of trial and error, Nathalie had finally settled down in a city in France called Paris, changing her hair to a dark blue-black and her last name to Sancouer, a French last name.

Like London, Paris was a big and bustling city, perfect for someone like Nathalie to blend into, and far enough away from her old home to lessen the chance of people recognizing her.

However, it was now the early 1900’s, and Nathalie has found that, as time had evolved, so had people. Witches had started being more and more accepted into society, and while Nathalie still kept her true identity under wraps, she had grown more and more confident, even managing to get into a small community college and to secure a temporary teaching job at a nearby middle school, and while the fear still held her down, this gave her hope that one day, she would be able to reveal her secrets.

And that day, perhaps came faster than she had initially thought.

As the city and industry grew, so did supply and demand. Because of this, Nathalie found herself needing more money, because while she was able to live comfortably with just her magic and the money that she had saved up from her teaching job, and back then, the money she had saved up from her gig as a medium, she knew that if she wanted to live in a place like Paris, she needed an extra buck or two.

That’s when she had heard of a famous fashion designer by the name of Gabriel Agreste, who was in desperate need of an assistant. 

It was a job she definitely qualified for, and one she figured would pay good money, so she had made a call over the phone to arrange an interview with him.

Upon arriving there, she was met with a very tall and stoic looking man, not stern or anything, just...quiet. Kept together and introverted, if you will.

He had asked her many questions, many of which related to the job, as well as any past experience with other jobs she may have had. 

But there were also some more personal questions, something Nathalie found employers sometimes did in order to get to know their employees better, without prying  _ too _ much into their personal lives.

Nathalie, of course, had lied about everything.

About 15 minutes later, he had told her he would look over her résumé once again, and that he would keep in touch. It wasn’t long before she had heard back from him, telling her that she would start the next morning.

Nathalie was surprised, as she hadn’t expected to start this early, but being such a high demand job, she couldn’t say she was  _ too  _ shocked. 

The next morning, she had come into work, hair up in a bun and her attire matching the dress code he had given her, a simple pantsuit and sweater, and black heels to compliment.

The job, as she expected, was demanding, but Gabriel was a fairly just boss. 

Quiet and blunt, but made sure his employees and company were taken care of.

But Nathalie didn’t care much for that, instead what stood out most to her about him was the way he cared for his family. 

He had a wife named Emilie, who, unlike Gabriel as Nathalie eventually had found out, was not a witch, and their young son Adrien, who harnessed powers of destruction, and during her years of work, Nathalie couldn’t help herself from growing fond of the family. 

She hadn’t seen her family in so long, after all, and as inappropriate as it might’ve been to get attached to your boss’s family, watching Adrien grow up and the love both parents had for each other, as well as for him, made Nathalie feel like she was a part of it all.

If there was anyone she trusted her secret to, it was for certain them. 

-

Gabriel hurriedly paced around his lair, fists clenched as he desperately tried to come up with a new plan.

He had spent  _ months _ at this point trying to find the woman he was looking for, but to his disappointment and anger, had no luck.

He then tensed up as he felt a hand on his back, but quickly relaxed once he realized who the hand belonged to. 

Turning around, he was met eye to eye with Nathalie, his best employee and closest confidant, someone he knew he could trust through thick and thin, and, as much as he refused it and assured her that she didn’t have to, would be by his side til the end.

“Perhaps it’s maybe time for you to take a break, sir.” Nathalie had suggested, a worried look gracing her features. 

He shook his head. “You know I can’t do that Nathalie, she’s my only hope.”

Nathalie had grown to very much care for her boss over the years, in more ways than one, and while she would’ve done anything she could to help him get his wife back, she was becoming more and more concerned over his mental well-being.

That, and well, it didn’t exactly help that the woman he was looking for was  _ her _ .

She didn’t know exactly why she refused to tell him, she trusted Gabriel after all, and it had been AGES since “the incident”, so there was really nothing to worry about. On top of it, Gabriel was a witch HIMSELF, so, what exactly was she so afraid of?

Even still, everytime she would think she had  _ finally _ mustered up the courage to tell him, she froze up, continuing to unintentionally lead the poor man on a wild goose chase, searching for a woman he had no idea was right under his nose the entire time.

Later that evening, as Nathalie headed up to her stay-in bedroom on the second floor of the mansion, the urge to confess the truth to him grew even stronger.

That day had been a particularly tough mission, and Nathalie doesn’t think she has seen Gabriel that distraught since the day he had lost his wife. 

_ But what would he think of her? _

Nathalie began to realize why she was having such a hard time telling him.

It wasn’t him finding out that she was a witch that scared her, it was losing his trust and friendship.

Gabriel was already broken enough, if he had found out she had kept the truth from him for this long, then well, Nathalie couldn’t even  _ begin _ to imagine how he would react.

Then again, if she did tell him, then he would finally be able to give up his search, and Nathalie could use her powers to reunite him with his wife, just like he always had wanted, and making him happy was the thing Nathalie strived for most, right?

_ Well, that was it then.  _ She thought. She had made her decision.

-

Opening the door to Gabriel’s office and peering in, she found the man searching through papers. Asides from the slight shake of the hands with each paper he searched through, the man seemed oddly calm, and so with a deep breath, Nathalie pushed the door all the way open, making herself known to Gabriel, who immediately turned around with eyebrows raised.

“Ah, Nathalie.” He began in a straight, yet somewhat pleased voice. “Good, you’re here.”

He then turned back to the papers in hand, quickly flipping through them with a single finger.

“I believe I have concocted a new plan. After last night, there can be no more failures, I realize that we now have to try harder than ever.” He spoke, eyes narrowing. “But I’m going to need your help, I-”

“I can’t, Gabriel.” Nathalie suddenly interrupted, causing the man’s eyes to go wide as he shot up in surprise. 

“Is there something wrong?” He questioned, making Nathalie tense up. He wasn’t angry or disappointed, in fact, his tone was quite concerned if anything, and that had only made Nathalie more afraid to confess to him the truth. 

“No...sir.” She started, head hung low as she avoided his confused gaze and now narrowing eyes in any way she could. “Nothing is wrong.”

He raised an eyebrow. 

“Then what is the issue?”

Nathalie took a deep breath.

“I can’t help you anymore because…” she shut her eyes. 

_ This is it Nathalie. Just rip off the bandage. _

“Because I know where the woman is. The woman you have been searching for, that is.”

Upon hearing this, Gabriel immediately stood up.

“You do?!” He questioned, approaching her. “How on earth did you find her?”

Nathalie held her arms to her stomach, once crossed over the other, as she stared at the floor uncomfortably.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say I  _ found  _ her-” she trailed off. “You see, I haven’t exactly been the most honest with you, Gabriel.”

Finally, her eyes had met his desperate blueish gray ones, and she could no longer keep it a secret.

“The reason you weren’t able to find the woman you were looking for is because, well…” she paused.

“The woman is  _ me _ .” 

Gabriel stared incredulously for a few moments, and Nathalie could swear she saw the seven stages of grief flash through his eyes in the mere matter of seconds, before he finally had let out an unamused laugh.

“Yes, yes, very funny Nathalie.” He depanned, moving past her. “But we have much more important things to worry about then insensitive  _ jokes _ .” 

Nathalie felt as if her stomach had been sucked into a black hole. She was in for it now. 

She could just play it off as a joke like he said, and apologize for being careless, but she was already in too deep, and if she wanted to help him, there was no going back now.

“No, Gabriel-” she desperately grabbed onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks and pulling him back. “I’m telling you the truth.” She pleaded, but Gabriel just yanked his arm back, eyes hardening. 

“That’s enough,  _ Nathalie _ .”

Frantically searching around the room for anything, ANYTHING that would make Gabriel believe her, her gaze finally settled on a potted plant her had next to his desk.

She quickly darted towards it, grabbing it off the shelf it stood on, as well as a pair of scissors from the drawer, and before he could even question what she was doing, cut the flowers right off their stems, which had only angered and confused the man even more.

“What do you think you’re-?!” he began to question, but was immediately shushed by Nathalie.

“Shh-!” She pleaded, turning towards the plant. “Just...watch.”

He raised a brow once more, but didn’t pry any further, letting the woman do her work.

Nathalie shut her eyes, concentrating on the plant, and Gabriel watched in shock and horror as the petals grew back one by one and the plant was now restored to its former glory.

As she finished the spell, Nathalie turned to her boss, who was still staring at the plant with eyes as wide as saucers, and after a few agonizing seconds of silence, managed to mutter out a simple. “ _ It’s you.” _

Noticing the expression on Gabriel’s face, Nathalie’s heart filled with pain.

“Gabriel, I’m so sorry-” she began. “I never meant to-” 

“It’s  _ YOU _ .” The man repeated again, expression and tone quickly changing from astonished to angry and betrayed. “All these months, no,  _ all these years,  _ you’ve had this power Nathalie, and you never told me?!” 

Nathalie shrunk down, desperately wishing she had been given the power to sink into the floor right about now, as his enraged gaze burned into her.

“I meant to tell you, honest!” She attempted to assure him, but she could tell he wasn’t buying it.

“ _ Then why didn’t you?”  _

It was a simple phrase, but one that hit Nathalie like a speeding truck. She really didn’t have an excuse,  _ did she _ ?

But she couldn’t lose the trust of the man she loved, after all, he was the first one in YEARS she had managed to become close to, and she didn’t want to let that go.

She desperately begged him to let her explain, spilling out details of her story to the still boiling man, and eventually, explaining everything to him from start to finish once she was finally able to get his attention.

After finishing her story, she noticed Gabriel’s expression, though still hardened, was no longer as enraged as it was before.  _ Was this a good thing? _ She wondered.

A few moments of silence passed by, and Gabriel finally spoke up. 

“I accept your offer to help me bring back my wife-” he started, and Nathalie was instantly struck with relief, but that relief was short lived as he continued on, starting out with a “ _ but- _ ”, and, by his tone, was something Nathalie knew couldn’t be good.

“But after that, I want you to gather your things and leave the premises. You are being terminated.”

Nathalie’s pupils pinpointed.

“But...sir!” She cried out. “I didn’t do anything wro-” 

He put up a hand to stop her. 

“I clearly can no longer trust you Nathalie, and if I can’t do that, then how can I trust that you will continue to excel as an employee?”

Nathalie opened her mouth to argue, but quickly shut it when she realized she didn’t exactly have one.

Noticing the look on her face, Gabriel softened a bit, letting out a sigh.

“I will give you a few days to get everything taken care of, and you will be receiving your final paycheck on Friday. You may say goodbye to Adrien and all that too. But I want you out no later than next week, is that understood?”

Nathalie had nothing else to say, and so, just simply nodded her head. 

“Yes sir.” 

Gabriel nodded as well, concern on his face sleeping in through the stoic mask he had placed upon it.

“Good. Now, let’s get started, shall we?”

-

As they approached Emilie’s coffin, the deceased woman looking as peaceful as ever, still in perfect condition and appearing as if she was merely sleeping due to the magical properties of said coffin, Nathalie’s stomach began to turn once again.

_ Once she did this, everything would be over _ .

Gabriel would have his wife back, and Nathalie, well Nathalie would be out of his life for good.

It pained her, but if this is what he really wanted, then well, her only goal this entire time had been to make him happy, right? And if this is what it took to do that, she was glad to comply.

But it  _ didn’t _ make Gabriel happy.

He knew it was a mistake to fire her, she not only was his best employee, but she was someone he counted on a lot, and had grown pretty close with over the years, and especially these past couple of months. He knew Adrien had grown close with her too, and didn’t know how he was going to break the news to him either.

Even still, though, after what she had just pulled, Gabriel found that his trust in her was completely broken. She  _ knew _ how desperately he wanted this, and promised to be there for him every step of the way. Was  _ that  _ a lie  _ too _ ?? he wondered.

It didn’t matter now, what’s done was done, and after they brought Emilie back, it would all be over, and he wouldn’t have to worry anymore.

He approached his wife, announcing to her that everything would be over soon, and, that in a mere matter of seconds, she would be back to them. He then stepped back, giving a nod towards Nathalie, a cue that told her it was time for her to do her thing.

Shutting her eyes and mustering every bit of concentration she could, she harnessed her power and focused it towards Emilie, wrapping both her and the sleeping woman in a magical blue aura, one that Gabriel looked at in awe.

As she continued to concentrate on the spell, the more difficult, she noticed, it had been to keep up. After all, she had only really brought small things, like plants and small animals, back to life. Most of her work was done  _ communicating _ with the dead.

Was it even possible to bring a  _ human _ to life?

But it was too late now. She promised she would help, and she was going to  _ keep _ that promise, but the sheer strength of the magic that flowed through her took away more and more energy, making her feel as if the life being  _ literally _ drained from her.

It was almost as if her essence was being used to restore Emilie’s, or at least, that’s what it has felt like.

Finally, the woman began to stir, Gabriel’s eyes widening.

“It’s working!” He cried out, being so concentrated on his wife he hadn’t even noticed Nathalie’s current state. “Keep-”

But as soon as he turned towards his now ex-assistant, all attention was immediately on her and her quickly deteriorating state as the weakened witch now struggled to stand up.

“ _ Nathalie _ !” He cried out desperately, rushing towards the woman and catching her in his arms as she swayed back. 

“Stop this now!” He demanded. “It’s too dangerous, this spell is taking everything you have!”

“But your  _ wife,  _ Gabriel.” Nathalie began, and Gabriel found his eyes desperately switching between her and the nearly awake Emilie, who was almost fully restored, before settling on the woman below him again. 

“No, Nathalie.” He shook his head. “This spell is too strong for you. We’ll find another way to do this, we’ll-”

But Nathalie wouldn’t listen, she just continued on.

“Please, just-!” She grunted out. “Let me do this for you!”

And, with every last bit of energy she had, let out a blast of light, one which had nearly blinded Gabriel, and had sent Nathalie to her knees.

The light, now fully engulfing Emilie, lifted the woman up in the air, energy and life being restored back into her, before finally settling her down in her coffin, Gabriel and Nathalie watching in anticipation for her to do or say something,  _ anything. _

Cautiously approaching her coffin, Gabriel quietly muttered out a simple “ _ Emilie _ ?”

As he approached fully, a look of relief and joy graced his features as he was now met with his now awake wife, who smiled up at him.

“Hello _ , Gabriel.”  _ She spoke fondly, and that was all it took for Gabriel to melt into his wife’s arms, who quickly did the same, the love between the two instantly reigniting with the same strength and passion it had when they had first met.

Nathalie, seeing the happy couple together, gave off a sad smile.

_ Her work was finally done. _

And so, no longer able to fight the inevitable, she gave into the lack of energy that had overcome her, and let herself completely fall to the the ground, letting out a cry of pain as she did so.

Immediately noticing this, Gabriel tore himself away from his wife, and quickly rushed over to the now dying woman, who he had picked up in his arms and turned to face him.

“Nathalie-” He began, tone desperate. “Why on  _ earth _ did you do that? I told you to stop!”

She only gave a weak smile in return.

“I know, but I  _ wanted _ to help you, Gabriel. That’s all I  _ ever _ wanted to do.”

His expression saddened, as he spoke her name again, trailing off this time as he did so.

“And I’m sorry for lying to you, I never should have-”

He shook his head, stopping her mid-sentence. 

“No,  _ I’m _ sorry, Nathalie. It was a mistake to fire you, I overreacted.” 

His gaze drifted towards the ground, and then back at her, as he felt the gentle, and now cold, touch of her hand place itself upon his cheek, forcing him to face her.

“You had every right to be angry. I’m the one who should have told you the truth in the first place. I was just...” She trailed off. “So afraid of losing your friendship.”

“Nathalie…” he spoke for the third time, voice filled with sorrow. 

“But just know-” she began again. “That everything I had ever done, was because I care for your family  _ so much _ , and I never,  _ ever _ wanted to hurt any of you.”

The more she talked, the more she felt the life slip out of her.

“So please, remember that, even after I am gone.”

She gave one more smile. 

“Goodbye, Gabriel.”

Gabriel frantically shook his head, the situation now settling in more and more as he felt the woman practically slipping out of his fingertips.

“Nathalie, no no!” He cried out. “It can’t end like this, we’ll find some way to-”

But he couldn’t finish, because Nathalie was already gone.

Gabriel stared in pure horror at the lifeless woman before him, before finally letting out a choked and agonized sob, burying himself in her shoulder and he desperately clung onto her.

Feeling a hand gently touch his backside, he turned around and was met with his wife, now up and fully energized, who was offering him a sympathetic smile.

“Its going to be alright Gabriel.”

Gabriel shook his head. 

“She gave up her life to help me, Emilie. To help  _ us _ .” His gaze was more focused on the woman in his arms rather than the woman kneeling behind him. “I shouldn’t have let that happen, I wish there was more I could’ve done.”

Emilie’s smile grew larger, and as Gabriel looked at her directly, he couldn’t help but feel a bit unsettled, as if there was something off about her.

But that was crazy,  _ right _ ?

“But there  _ wasn’t _ anything you  _ could’ve _ done, Gabriel. She made her choice.” Emilie spoke, with a tone that sounded...fake, almost. “You have to move on.”

Gabriel stared at his wife for a few moments, eyebrows furrowed with worry, before turning back towards Nathalie.

With a heavy and shaky sigh, he lifted her up, and gently placed her in the coffin, placing a singular rose from the bouquet he had given his wife on her chest, before whispering a broken “ _ I’m sorry _ .”

Turning away from the coffin, he extended his arm out to his wife, who took it almost a bit too eagerly, and, after taking one last look at the deceased woman who now lay where Emilie had once been, turned back forward and headed towards the exit,  _ never _ to look back again. 

  
  
  



End file.
